


Hanging Baskets

by MiddayStar



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/F, Flowers, Fluff, I said fuck the end pairings, plant gays, takes place overtime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:08:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24242575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiddayStar/pseuds/MiddayStar
Summary: When designing a hanging baskets, the are 3 important components: the thrillers, fillers, and spillers. And Sakura defines them in these terms.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 6
Kudos: 64





	Hanging Baskets

**Author's Note:**

> I've been rewatching Naruto plus getting back into writing fanfic so this is just a little fun. Enjoy!

When designing a hanging basket, there are 3 components: the thrillers, fillers, and spillers. The thrillers are the main centerpiece, often times a tall, inflorescence which towers above the rest. Then there’s the fillers, low lying leaves or flowers which fill in. They offer a place for the thrillers to mount themselves upon, complementing them. Finally, there are the spillers; vines which hang down from the basket, suspended limply in the air.

Sakura remembers learning this while visiting her best friend, at the flower shop not long after their flower arrangement lesson. She remembered these facts a couple years later when accompanying her father on a shopping trip in the late spring. Despite his daughter’s chagrin, they stopped outside the shop so he could examine some hanging baskets. When she saw Ino, glaring daggers at her from behind the counter where she stood helping her own dad, Sakura had turned her nose up. She begged her dad not to go in there and purchase the basket but he told her to just wait outside if she was so embrassed. When they returned home Sakura couldn’t help but notice the fillers were the same shade of pink as her hair. A dusty, pastel pink. Beautiful on its own, but here it was to serve as a contract for the dark purple lilacs in the center. She remembered overhearing Ino one day telling _Sasuke_ that was her favorite color.

“That’s why I bought it you know.” Sakura looked back up at her dad.

“What do you mean?”

“Because the petunias at the base. They reminded me of you.” While her father’s comment was supposed to be eandering, Sakura couldn’t help but run up to her room crying. Even after severing their bond, it seemed everywhere she looked reminded her of Ino. Well, she wasn’t going to have it. In her 10 year old mind, tearing the lilacs out of the basket early the next morning was a way of proving she didn’t need Ino, and that Ino couldn’t use Sakura as a stepping stool anymore. When her mother found the mess of petals and soil on their front porch, she had grilled her for acting out. But in Sakura’s mind it all made perfect sense. Her mother just didn’t know what Sakura did.

-

It was after their battle during the preliminaries that Sakura remembered that incident. Her and Ino were getting better; although still ribbing each other over the smallest things, and arguing over their ‘precious Sasuke.’ Although at this point Sakura knew Sasuke was so much more to her than just a romantic interest. The blonde was filling a basket with soil, leaving holes for the plugs. Sakura, having nothing better to do, had been hanging out with Ino more and more the past few weeks.

“Oh, are you designing a basket?” Ino rolled her eyes.

“Uh, yeah? What does it look like I’m doing, forehead?” Sakura ignored her comment, instead looking at the labels for what she was putting in. Sweet potato vine, petunias, and lilacs. The same as the basket she had unceremoniously destroyed 2 and a half years ago. She couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and laughed. “What?” Ino asked, not annoyed.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just something silly.”

“Yeah, you are pretty silly Sakura. I still don’t know _how_ you always did better than me on those exams.” Ino sighed wistfully. Sakura couldn’t help but get into it now.

“Oh come on, you know I was always smarter than you. Grades were the only thing I ever had over you.” It was supposed to be a dig, but it came out painfully pathetic. Ino raised an eyebrow.

“Uh, no? Gosh Sakura, self-deprecation doesn’t look cute on you and you know it. And it’s not like it helps me either. As if I need it.” Ino went and hung the plant in front of the window, leaving Sakura stunned for a moment. The two had been trying to get better at compliments, but after years of hurt feelings it always surprised the other to hear what they truly thought.

-

But even when they were 18, having gone through war, grief, loss and love, they still found themselves slinging insults. Although now, the tone was much less hostile. Now they were inside jokes. Sometimes terms of endearment.

“Forehead! There you are.” Ino flung her arms about Sakura, nearly toppling her over.

“Ino! Don’t be such a boar, you almost trampled me!” Ino helped steady her, smiling.

“Sorry Sakura it’s just, I haven’t seen you in ages! How’s it been?” Sakura sighed wiping her forehead.

“It’s alright. There’s just so much to keep track of. I have so many patients, all with different needs. It would be great if we had you back in the corps, but I know you’ve been training with your dad.” Ino sighed.

“Gosh, what I wouldn’t give to get out of the house. Between learning how to run the clan and managing the shop, I don’t have time for much else. Well, except my date with Sai which was…” Sakura laughed. Sai had told her over dinner with her and Naruto how bad it went. He wasn’t one to mince his words either, and Sakura couldn’t help but laugh then at his brutally honest portrayal of Ino as domineering and opinionated.

The two sat down for lunch, talking about this and that. How was Shika and Choji? They’re fine, how about your boys? Good, good. This time, when Sasuke was mentioned, there was no competition. Sasuke was a friend, an ally, a comrade. Both had moved on from their childhood crush.

After a time, Sakura noticed the potting soil in the corner of Ino’s kitchen, a pot next to it.

“Is that for the store?” Ino turned to where Sakura was looking, smiling.

“Oh, no! I’ve been meaning to design a new hanging basket for the porch but didn’t have the time. Did you want to help me? I don’t know if you had somewhere to be or,” Sakura smiled, setting her bowl down.

“No, today’s my day off. What were you thinking?”

Ino had set out a few starters for them. They both agreed on ivy for the spiller, but were already fighting over the thriller.

“I just think the lilac would look really nice. It’s a classic, and don’t they always sell?”

“What do you know, billboard brow? Besides, I wanna switch it up! The pink celosia would look so cool!” This went on for a few minutes, the two bantering back and forth. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on Sakura, who was practically begging Ino to plant the same flowers she had torn out of that basket almost a decade ago. Sakura thought she was being mature; she had already planned her next move which was to suggest a pink filler. The argument stopped when she saw Ino pick up a different tray.

“Well, what about these? They’re geraniums, and we have pink _and_ purple. We wouldn’t even need a filler.” Sakura was a little stunned.

“You can do that?” Ino nodded.

“Yeah! Come on Sakura, you’ve visited the store how many times? Gosh you’re dense. You’re really smart, but you’re really dense.” Ino began to remove the plugs, grabbing a few of each cultivar. “We wouldn’t even need the ivy since these will spill over too. I think the purple and pink would look really nice. Just the two of them. They’ll both fill all the roles.”

Sakura felt a smile creep across her face, although Ino wasn’t looking.

“… Yeah, just the two of them sounds good.”


End file.
